1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a shift lever for operating a transmission of automotive vehicles and the like, and more particularly to an improvement in the shift lever of the type including lower and upper lever sections which are connected with each other through an elastomeric insulator.
2. Description of Prior Art
In connection with noise reduction in automotive vehicles and the like, it has hitherto been proposed that a shift lever includes upper and lower lever sections which are connected to each other through an elastomeric insulator, in order to prevent transmission of noises (particularly, generated in a high engine speed range of from 4,000 to 6,000 rpm) from an engine and a transmission to the inside of a passenger compartment.
However, drawbacks have been encountered in such a shift lever in which it is difficult to make compatible a required vibration prevention effect and a good operation feeling of the shift lever in case the shift lever employs a usual elastomeric insulator, for example, made of rubber while being so designing as not to become unnecessarily large-sized.
In other words, if the hardness of the elastomeric insulator is lowered to improve vibration prevention effect, particularly, for vibrations in vertical directions, the operation feeling of the shift lever is unavoidably degraded. On the contrary, if the elastomeric insulator hardness is raised to prevent the degradation of shift lever operation feeling, the vibration from the engine and the transmission tends to be transmitted to the upper lever section of the shift lever, thus resulting in booming noise within the passenger compartment of the vehicle.